Thinking Celestial - A ”Follow The Prophet” Series Podcast · SLCC Institute of Religion

Ep 170 S7 Erika Johnson ‘Simplicity in Christ’ Michael Cziesla

·32 min·2 clips

Oma Ciesla keeps doing what she can while war, distance, and years separate her from church life.

Thinking Celestial begins with the host explaining why Elder Michael Ciesla’s talk feels personal. His German background brings back memories of a mission in Germany, and that connection sets the tone early. Erica joins him in studio, and the episode settles into an easy conversation about the talk. They discuss Heavenly Father’s plan and the Savior’s atonement as the foundation that makes that plan possible. The episode keeps returning to the idea that mortal life matters. It also keeps asking what it means to keep walking the covenant path. One image that comes up is building something beautiful brick by brick. That image becomes a way to think about patience, faith, and the slow work of becoming. The conversation keeps returning to enduring to the end. It also keeps returning to the idea that following Christ takes constant effort and continual change. Erica lingers on that point because it feels close to home. The message is not that a person should settle into complacency. It is that a person can see progress while still reaching for more growth ahead. The hosts tie that idea to trust. Erica says she has struggled with trusting herself in many situations. She then names a change she has noticed in her own life: the more she trusts God, the easier it becomes to trust herself. That thought opens into a broader pattern of love. Loving God makes it easier to love yourself. Loving yourself makes it easier to love others. The episode keeps that chain of ideas grounded in everyday life. It does not stay abstract for long. Instead, it keeps asking what a listener can do today. It ends with a testimony that some blessings come late and some do not come until heaven, but they do come for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ. The final note is calm, steady, and devotional.

As heard by us

A warm, practical talk on trust, change, and staying on the covenant path.

This episode keeps its focus on Heavenly Father's plan, the Savior's atonement, and the work of choosing the covenant path through steady effort and real change.

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Why you'd press play

You want a calm, faith-filled conversation about Heavenly Father's plan, the Savior's atonement, and what constant effort looks like in daily life.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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